Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The visiting USAID delegation continued their tour of US government-funded food security projects in the southern region of the country on Saturday.
The delegation included the US Assistant to the Administrator in the Bureau for Food Security Paul Weisenfeld and Denise Rollins, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Asia Bureau of USAID.
The delegation visited a nutrition project in addition to rice, horticulture and aquaculture projects, funded under President Obama’s global ‘Feed the Future’ initiative, a statement said.
They visited the Strengthening Partnerships, Results and Innovations in Nutrition Globally (SPRING) program in Shreerampur, Khulna, and met with beneficiaries and observed a counseling session on appropriate feeding of children aged six months to two years.
The next stop was a rice seed production and delivery systems program in Rupdiah, Jessore. The project works with farmers to promote high yielding and stress tolerant rice varieties in 20 southern districts.
The goal is to intensify rice production while adapting to the potential adverse effects of climate change, including flooding, drought and increased salinity levels.
The delegation met with farmers and seed growers, visiting pilot plots of improved rice varieties.
Visiting USAID’s aquaculture project in Pakdia, Jessore, the delegation met with fishermen using modern fish farming techniques to raise Tilapia.
The project aims to increase fish production by providing access to high-quality, disease-free stocks, and fingerlings.
The delegation then visited a horticulture project in Churamon Khati, Jessore touring commercial vegetable gardens that produce bottle gourd, sweet potato and brinjal eggplant among other crops.
The US aims to help improve the income and nutritional status of 500,000 people in southern Bangladesh through this project.
The ‘Feed the Future’ initiative in Bangladesh focuses on improving agricultural extension services, strengthening food and non-food value chains, promoting productivity-enhancing production practices and inputs, developing rural markets and roads, supporting agricultural research, promoting maternal and child nutrition and improving the policy environment.
With projected funding of up to US$250 million over five years (pending future U.S. Congressional appropriations), the United States aims to help reduce both overall poverty and child stunting by approximately 20 percent each in the 20 southern districts targeted under the Feed the Future program.
BBN/SSR/AD-02Sept12-10:30 am (BST)
